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Sustainable and affordable: Re-imagining healthcare in Saudi Arabia

Perception 1: 91 per cent of Saudis surveyed considered themselves in excellent or good health.

Finding: About 58 per cent of Saudis surveyed were either overweight or obese.

Perception 2: Doctors are the most trusted source regarding information on diseases, healthy food and health related activities.

Finding: Only 26 per cent of Saudis surveyed visit a doctor regularly for health checkups.

The key findings of the recent 'Health & Wellness' research conducted by General Electric Company (GE) in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam revealed the schism between perception and reality in the Saudi population on topics concerning their health. The research, which covered both women and men between the ages of 20 and 45, also revealed that Saudis are most concerned about cancer followed by heart-related ailments, which are perceived to be 'non-curable', as well as weight issues.

The study also highlighted the urgent need to address this perception gap well as encourage the Saudi public to adopt a preventative approach towards their health. With a fast growing population, Saudi Arabia today faces the twin challenges of rising healthcare costs and the growing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes and stress related problems.

The first thing that must be done to address the twin challenges is to raise the public's health awareness and promote the importance of healthy living habits. This is, coincidentally, the first step towards building a healthy and sustainable society in the Saudi.

To support Saudi's goal of achieving sustainability in its population's health, GE has recently rolled out a nation-wide educational campaign under its healthymagination initiative. Healthymagination is GE 's global commitment to create better health for more people by expanding access to quality care at lower costs.

Guided by healthymagination's principle of knowledge-sharing, this Saudi-focused consumer outreach utilizes both online and social networking media to engage the wider Saudi public in an active conversation to share healthcare knowledge and encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

As part of the campaign, GE has launched a dedicated interactive English and Arabic online portal, www.healthymagination.me, focusing on health issues and healthy living. The website serves as a key resource for the public on the simple steps they can take to be on track towards a healthier lifestyle.

In addition to regular Health & Fitness' and 'Food & Nutrition' sections, the site highlights topical monthly features such as 'Healthy Eid' and 'Health Resolutions'. It also hosts a data visualization tool, which presents the findings of the 'Health & Wellness' research in an interactive manner. Visitors can make use of the data visualization tool to see where they stand in relation to the Saudi population in terms of their individual health.

In what is considered a groundbreaking step in Saudi, the site recognizes the role females in the society and pays a fitting tribute to them as the primary caregiver and nurturer in the family. www.healthymagination.me seeks to empower women in Saudi with even more information, which will support them in making better and healthier choices for themselves and their families.

To further strengthen the conversation between GE and the Saudi public, GE 's healthymagination campaign includes a number of social networking platforms such as Twitter (http://twitter.com/Li9o7etna) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/healthymagination.me )

GE Healthcare has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Minister of Health (MoH) to align its efforts towards supporting the Kingdom's goal of progressing towards a healthier society with an affordable and sustainable healthcare system.

GE Healthcare has been established in Saudi Arabia for more than 25 years employing more than 200 skilled professionals and has invested in a strategic country service support center in Riyadh. This has led to an increase in the speed of customer response time, strongly supported by experienced local service & technical support teams. GE Healthcare is working with the MoH in training healthcare professionals in the modern advances in healthcare technology, and has trained more than 1,300 MoH healthcare professionals, since April 2009.

By taking the lead in re-imagining healthcare in Saudi Arabia, GE stands alongside the Kingdom in its progress towards a sustainable and affordable health reality for its population.

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© Press Release 2010